Turkey Looks for Possible Chinese Missile Replacement

Jul. 14, 2014 - 10:56AM
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US company Raytheon -- maker of Patriot missile launchers like this one at a Turkish military base in Gaziantep -- and competitor Eurosam have been asked to keep open their competing offers to supply a new long-range air and anti-missile defense system to Turkey. NATO nations have been calling on Turkey to rethink its selection last year of a Chinese company's system. (Bulent Kilic / AFP)

Farnborough International Airshow

FARNBOROUGH, ENGLAND — Amid pressure on Turkey to abandon its selection of a Chinese missile defense system, Raytheon has been asked by the governments of Turkey and the US to keep its Patriot offer open until August 30, officials said.

“There is a lot of skepticism about Turkey taking a Chinese system and I am confident in our solution,” said Daniel Crowley, president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. “We hope Turkey will select Patriot.”

Crowley, who was speaking in London ahead of the Farnborough International Airshow, said he would be heading to Turkey next week to discuss Raytheon’s offer.

In September, Turkey selected China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corp. (CPMIEC) to supply a long-range air and anti-missile defense system over competition from the Patriot and the Eurosam group, a move which has stirred opposition from NATO members.

A Raytheon official said Eurosam had also been asked to keep its offer open until August 30.

A second official said the timing could be linked to a pending meeting between new Turkish procurement chief Ismail Demir and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“Turkey’s new procurement chief may meet Erdogan before the end of August and we hope they will decide on a new direction,” he said. “I cannot speak for the US government, but we assume a decision on a path forward will evolve before the end of August,” he added.